The Indian government has ordered internet service providers (ISPs) to restrict access to Supabase, a prominent open-source developer database platform. The block, implemented on February 24 under Section 69A of India’s Information Technology Act, has caused widespread, albeit inconsistent, outages for developers across the country since late last week.
While the Indian Ministry of Electronics and IT has not provided a public explanation for the order, the move has severely impacted one of the platform’s most vital markets. Data from Similarweb indicates that India accounts for approximately 9% of Supabase’s global traffic, with visits from the region surging by roughly 179% year-over-year.
Operational Chaos for Local Developers
The restriction has created significant hurdles for the Indian developer ecosystem. Users report that while the main Supabase website remains reachable, the core developer infrastructure is inaccessible. This has effectively paralyzed both development and production environments for many local startups.
Supabase has acknowledged the issue, noting that it is actively pursuing all available channels to resolve the service disruption. Despite suggestions from the company to use VPNs or modify DNS settings to bypass the restrictions, local founders argue that these workarounds are impractical for professional workflows.
We understand many users in India continue to be blocked from accessing Supabase. We acknowledge the difficulties this is causing for our users there. Supabase continues to follow up through all available channels to resolve this issue.
We continue to advise affected customers…
— Supabase (@supabase) February 27, 2026
Broader Implications for Tech Infrastructure
The incident has reignited concerns regarding India’s broad website-blocking policies. Raman Jit Singh Chima, Asia Pacific policy director at Access Now, emphasized the instability this creates for the digital economy. “You don’t know where you can safely run projects without the danger that something might happen where it gets blocked, and suddenly you’re scrambling to find a way,” Chima stated.
This is not the first time India has targeted developer-centric platforms. In 2014, the government briefly restricted access to GitHub, Vimeo, and Pastebin during a security investigation. Similar intermittent blocks on GitHub domains were also reported by users in 2023.
About Supabase
Founded in 2020 by Paul Copplestone and Ant Wilson, Supabase has positioned itself as a leading open-source alternative to Firebase, built on PostgreSQL. The startup has seen massive growth, particularly with the rise of AI-driven development, and currently boasts a valuation of $5 billion following $380 million in total funding.
As of now, the block remains in effect across major providers such as ACT Fibernet, JioFiber, and Airtel, though some users in specific regions like Bengaluru have reported sporadic connectivity. Neither the Indian government nor the involved telecom providers have issued official comments regarding the duration or specific grounds for the restriction.